Gamble House

If you’re interested in architecture and history this is a must see. Our tour guide was very informative. This house is an amazing example of arts and crafts workmanship. Throughly enjoyed the tour.

It was great! Makes you appreciate modern day ventilation and central air but what a beautiful home and a little Slice of timeless joy!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the special «Upstairs-​Downstairs» tour, yesterday. During the time when the 2 USC School of Architecture students are away, the rooms which originally belonged to the maid and cook, are open for viewing.
For $ 20, the well-​spoken docent took a small group through the gorgeous landmark home, providing interesting information along the way, at a leisurely pace. She was glad to answer questions and share inside stories about the family that gave the home a sense of place in history.
I hadn’t been to the Gamble House since the 1990s. It was great to see it still being well taken care of. The beautiful grounds with lily pond are open to the public. Nice place for a picnic.

We went to Tuesday Brown Bag Tour — $ 8 /​person. We sat by the back porch and ate our lunch — which was very tranquil and nice :). Tables were already set up w tablecloth and chairs. We took 12:15tour which is first floor only and actually lasted 30min instead of 20min. We like history and architecture in general so liked the mini tour but honestly Im not sure if we will go back for the one hour tour. We thought mini tour was just the right amount for us.

I do appreciate the fine furniture craftsmanship and detailed architecture designs, but I thought the one-​hour guided tour wasn’t very interactive and it felt like a plain & dull class lecture to me.
The Gamble House was designed by the Greene brothers in 1908 and it was built as a vacation home for David and Mary Gamble (David Gamble’s dad, James Gamble, was one of the co-​founder of Procter & Gamble). The Gamble family donated the whole house to the USC School of Architecture in 1966 and that was the 1^st year of the public tours. In 1978, this three-​stories tall vacation house was selected as a National Historic Landmark.
There are total of six different types of tours — the general One-​Hour Guided Tour ($ 15 per adult), Upstairs Downstairs (limited time this summer, 1.5 hours, $ 20 per adult), Behind The Velvet Ropes (2.5 hours, $ 45 per person), Details & Joinery (about craftsmanship, 3 hours, $ 80 per person), Fire & Light (2 hours, $ 45 per person), and Arroyo Terrace (1.25 hours, $ 17 per person). Other than the One-​Hour Guided Tour and Upstairs Downstairs, all other four tours must be purchased in advance.
If you are here for the general One-​Hour Guided Tour, you can pick up or buy tickets at the bookstore (it is locating right next to the Gamble House). No photography during any tours, no touching, no food and drinks, no high heels, and turn off anything that make noises (e.g. cell phones).
During the tours, you’ll walk through each level of the house and learn about its history, architectural designs (e.g. elements such as Japanese cranes), and other detailed information. The entire house doesn’t have the best ventilation system (no A/​C — after all, this house is over 100 years old), so you might feel a bit stuffy while inside the house (especially during the summer time).
This is a must visit for people who are into historical architectures, but this is just not my cup of tea.
P. S. — Bookstore was the original garage for the Gamble House.

If you enjoy architecture, history, or woodworking this is a great adventure.
It’s an amazing home with outstanding design. Way ahead of its time with many modern improvements and clever features.
The woodworking is simply amazing. Each room has a separate species of wood and custom built furniture that is as impressive as the home.

I can now cross two bucket list items off my list. Thank you, Pasadena!
The first was, of course, watching my team play at the 100^th Rose Bowl last year. On our return visit to town this year, we could see the Rose Bowl from the outdoor porches of the glorious Gamble House during our tour. A nice full circle moment combining my love of sports, history and art.
Aside from the house itself, I have to give kudos to the ease of taking a tour thanks to the online ticket ordering system and the docents and staff. No service charges for ticketing in advance and since we arrived a bit early, they were happy to move us up to an earlier tour.
What surprised me most was how dark it is inside the house. Even during a 12:00p tour on a sunny day, our guide had to use a flashlight repeatedly to show off details in the building and furniture that would be otherwise remain unseen. So, keep that in mind when scheduling a visit to the house. Dusk is probably not the best idea.
The tour starts on the main level and you finish on the third floor in what was originally designed as a billiard room, but Mr. Gamble didn’t play pool, so it was an unused attic when the family lived here. Personally, it was my favorite room in the house with 360 bird’s eye views and in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, «Oh, this is where they keep the light.»
The woodwork and craftsmanship is glorious and it is beautiful to see a home where the designers had such vision and carried it through the entire project. The docent did a marvelous job of explaining the design, the construction materials and also weaving in the history of the family and why the house was constructed and how it was used.
I was amused to learn about the process of donation and how Occidental College turned it down (no architecture department), so USC and the City of Pasadena share the property. The house has human security in the form of two USC architecture students who live in the property.
Reasonably priced ($ 15 for adults with discounts for seniors) and imho a great way to spend an hour plus. However, probably not the best choice for young children (although children 12 and under are FREE). The rules are no interior photography and no touching anything, which is pretty much contrary to the natural impulses of most children these days (mine included).

Came here with my mom to check out the architecture at this famous spot. They have guided tours daily and we bought tickets online. Highly recommend to get them online as they say some tours fill up. The tour are $ 15 for general admission, a little cheaper if your a student, a kid or have a senior discount. The tour itself lasts anywhere between 1 – 1.5hours depending on the docent.
Just be sure to know the there is no photos allowed inside and you MUST NOT touch anything.
The architecture inside is amazing. So awe inspiring and beautifully thought out. The docents are awesome, well trained and very knowledgable. Very cool and everyone should check this house out!
Parking is out front along the street or in the parking lot, free parking.

A must. Intricately gorgeous!

Um this place is amazing. Please do yourself a favor and go see the awesome architecture. Also smile. Because you are also at doc Browns house from Back To The Future!!! It’s 2015… So that makes it more awesome!

If you love architecture, you’ll love the Gamble House.
The standard tour is very architecture-​heavy, but at 1 hour long, I think it could still hold the interest of those who aren’t overly excited about joints and rafters. Our tour guide, Andrew, was extremely knowledgeable about the house’s history and architectural elements. I also appreciated that he was open to people’s questions.
The house is absolutely gorgeous, though it will take some time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. What’s really incredible is that nearly everything is original, down to the furniture. This house hasn’t been modernized or Tuscan-​ified like so many homes in Los Angeles, and thank goodness. So, because of that, they keep the lights at the appropriate wattage for the time the home was built.
At $ 15 per adult, this is a great way to spend some time learning about architecture and history. Funds go to the upkeep of the house.
Make sure you read the details of the tour confirmation and respect the rules of the house.
I can’t see this holding much interest for kids, unless your kids are well-​behaved and appreciate this type of stuff (I was such a brat as a kid, I would probably hate this).
[Total tangent — we had 2 absolute ANGELS on our tour (about ages 4 and 7) who were quiet, polite, and even asked questions of the tour guide. If you’re the parents of the 2 kids on the January 3 tour at 12:40pm — your kids are awesome!]
A must-​see!

An excellent example of the American Arts and Crafts Style architecture, and the keystone project for Greene and Greene.
Every detail in the house is well thought out. Docents are friendly and knowledgable. I’ve been on tours several times, and I always learn something new. If you can’t make it to a tour, or have young children who won’t make it though a tour. Just visiting the exterior is well worth the visit.

Amazing home and story behind it. Our docet Charles (I believe) was very knowledgeable and gave us a thorough run-​down of the Gamble house and Green & Green brothers. Definitely a great place to take someone who is interested in history or architecture. Provides some insight into the beauty of pasadena!
Our tour started at 12pm and ended at about 1:15pm. Very prompt so be there early to start your tour! Your includes a look into almost all the rooms in the house. It was $ 12.50 for student tickets and $ 15 for the regular adult. Longer and more in depth tours are available for a higher price.
We bought our tickets at the bookstore on the premises about 15 minutes before our tour. Seemed like some people got their tickets online before the event and had printed receipts. Even if you do this, you should stop by the bookstore first to pick up your tickets — they are pretty serious about collecting those ticket stubs. Tight ship run over there by very friendly people!
Ample free parking our front of the house! I would definitely recommend stopping here whether you are visiting from out of town or live nearby. Check out the bookstore too! Pretty cool stuff. Run by USC — which is an interesting story as well.

They just don’t make things like they used to. The designs are brilliant, and the many types of endangered and extinct wood, hundred year-​old carpets in pristine condition, and original Tiffany lamps and glass lights are breathtaking.
I’m just a common person, but I still knew when the incredibly knowledgeable docent was dropping names. The bigger architechture buffs were gasping all around me, and you’d be blind not to see what a treasure you’ve stumbled upon.
I recommend taking the short 20-​minute intro tour on Tuesdays if you’re like me. I.e. you know nothing about architecture but can appreciate the beauty. The docents are great so if you want the full-​length tour or one of the longer specialized tours, I definitely wouldn’t discourage you either. Just make sure to enjoy some dim sum in the SGV right after!

One of many really interesting historic homes in pasadena that was owned by the second generation of the Gamble family, as in Proctor & Gamble… Apparently it was their vaca home which is now about 100ish years old and, interestingly, has two fellowship award winners that live in a couple of the rooms upstairs! …must be hard to get anything done when there are tours just outside ur bedroom door! Lol
We stopped by during MOTA so the tour was free (I believe they said it is normally 10 $) and everyone had lots of info to share about the property and the history of the ownership. Pretty interesting that there was a cabin-​ish/​summer camp feel throughout the property but inside there was a lot of custom décor inspired by Japanese influences. Def unexpected. No pics inside so you’ll have to go check it out for yourselves: P

I had a fantastic time here! The house is beautiful, and it was stunning architecture. Our tour guide was great!
The only downfall, was that the woman who ushered us in was extremely rude, which is why I am only giving 4 stars… You cannot be serving the public and treat them so rudely in a job like that. However the rest of the trip to the house definitely made up for her poor behavior.

If your into local history or architecture, then the Gamble House is a must. The house was built for one of the founders of Proctor & Gamble in 1908 by the Greene brothers who were notable Craftman architects at the time and lived in by members of the Gamble family until the 1960’s when it was donated to Pasadena.
The furniture and fixtures are all original and in pristine condition, most of which was built specifically for this house. The tour is only about $ 12 and lasts for about an hour and half. It’s money well spent.
I later found out that this was Doc Brown’s house (and garage) from Back to the Future. (They don’t mention this in the tour)

I love architecture. I studied architecture. It’s what I do for a living. Why am I just getting around to taking this tour?
As my husband and I search for a home to buy, we realized we love Craftsman style. Just adore it, can’t live without it. In that Million Dollar block, there are just a plethora of homes which will blow your mind. Out of this world beautifully restored and kept Craftsman! Oh I so wish to live there!
Back to the Gamble house. The tour itself was a bit disappointing as I thought we’d go into more rooms and be able to touch more stuff. The lady kept talking and talking about same thing whereas I just wanted to gaze and look at every detail in each room. Most rooms were roped off so you couldn’t really walk around. Bummer. But overall, the tour was nice. Got to see a lot of the old Craftsman styles as well as get a little history of the Gamble family. The grounds are also beautifully manicured so explore around the house too!

I came here on Sunday for the 1^st time for the MOTA day (
) where admission was free for the general public (there 1 and only free day here at the Gamble House). I really enjoyed the self guided tour and learning tidbit of factual information from the many number of docents in the house. The furniture & structure of the home is beautiful and the reoccurring theme throughout the home (a crane and a rose, octagon shape and so on) was a special touch to the Gamble family. I though the Gamble Family had a very interesting life and would have loved to be a true guest in their home while they were still alive.
When we first arrived here, we had to put on blue scrub booties so that the floors and the rugs (which are 100 years old) can stay in it’s most pristine condition. We were constantly reminded not to touch anything because of the oils in our hands that can cause the furniture and architecture to deteriorate/​decline over time. Because of that, I would not recommend the Gamble House as children friendly.
I wished there was more things to see on this tour, as I know there were quite a bit of things closed off by the velvet rope. But we were told by the docents that they do have a «behind the rope» tour that provides even more than the general tour.
Overall, I rather enjoyed myself and the hour that was spent in here.
By the way, the a/​c seemed to either not be on or was on very light because it was rather quite warm in the home (but that could also be due to the large number of people inside because of the MOTA day).

The Gamble House is listed on both the National Historic Register and the California Landmark Register. It is hard to believe that this house, considered as America’s Arts and Crafts masterpiece, was built in just ten months. The furniture in house was also designed by Green and Green the same architects who designed the house. The combination of woods and the dim lighting make the interior so dark that the docents carry flashlights to point out some of the exquisite details in the house. I really like to go on home tours and this home is a beauty, the tour is well worth the time and the reasonable fees they charge.
If you are a fan of the movie «Back to the Future» the exterior shots of the Docs’ mansion is the Gamble house. The interiors were shot at another Green & Green home because there is no photography allowed inside the house. And they do mean no photography; our tour guide saw someone take out a cell phone and she sort of humiliated the guy and threatened to take the phone.